Can you believe it’s been a whole year since Let’s Polka first came kicking and squeezing into this world? It seems like just yesterday we were interviewing polka greats, hanging out at Camp AccordionLand and the Cotati Accordion Festival, and being written up in the San Francisco Chronicle. We’ve seen squeezebox zombies, zydeco prodigies, accordion-toting Finnish metal bands, and bizarre Slovenian polka videos. We even managed to anger some Garfield fans along the way.
To celebrate the occasion, we’re engaging in our favorite hobby: giving away free stuff! But first, you have to give us something in return.
Your mission: Write a comment on this post and tell us about an accordion artist (solo or group) that we should hear. It could be a musette accordion player from the 1930s, your cousin’s conjunto band, or a punk/polka combo you found on MySpace. If there’s an accordion involved, we want to know about it!
We’ll send a handful of Let’s Polka stickers (see photo above) to everyone who posts a comment. Three lucky, randomly-chosen commenters will also receive one of these items from our holiday gift guide:
- Geoff Berner’s tongue-in-cheek handbook, How to Be an Accordion Player
- Bob Dolgan’s biography of Frankie Yankovic, America’s Polka King
- Craig DiBiase’s polka documentary, It’s Happiness, on DVD
We’ll hold the drawing for those three prizes next Monday, so you have one week to post your comment. (If you comment after Monday, you can still get stickers but you won’t win one of the three prizes.)
Sound good? Then start posting — and winning — today!
15 Comments:
Joe Domitrowich (www.capricious-accordion.com) plays digital accordion at the Mountain View Farmers Market sometimes. Nothing like a good polka while you’re squeezing fruits and munching free samples.
by Karla on March 6th, 2007
How about Squeeze bot? Kinda like a Zydeco version of Dave Brubeck. Banjo + accordion = crazy delicious!
http://www.myspace.com/squeezebot
by Scott on March 6th, 2007
Gary Breitbard is a wonderful accordionist. Here’s his website. He has sound clips of his French and Italian songs on his website. They’re really beautiful and inspiring. They make me want to pick up my squeezebox right now!
by anna on March 6th, 2007
nice web site.
by thomas on March 8th, 2007
nice web site, very interesting, us accordian players have to stick together.
by thomas nadolski on March 8th, 2007
Check out my buddy Zev Zions’ new CD “Olive Blossoms” at http://www.oliveblossoms.com. He plays with great technique, style and taste.Enjoy!
by Sam Ramras on March 8th, 2007
Tristan Glover, part of Chipolatas, a trio of “multi-talented musical clowns,” is notable for having a diatonic accordion named after him (although in the pictures he seems to be playing a Dino Baffetti). His accordion playing can be heard on the CD tracks of their merchandise page. Sadly I see no plans for a U.S. tour.
by Ian on March 8th, 2007
Great stuff so far! Sam — funny you should mention Zevy’s CD; I’m in the midst of writing something about it for the site. His playing is excellent.
by Chris on March 8th, 2007
Check out Victor Prieto‘s jazz accordion stuff. Definitely one of my favorite accordionists now. I discovered him on Craigslist offering accordion lessons (IIRC). I wish I could afford them!
by Jesse on March 10th, 2007
I should mention..the song you hear when you first go to the site is nice, but there’s more on the Listen section. I recommend “The End of a Love Affair.”
by Jesse on March 10th, 2007
This site is so full of information and music it is unbelieveable and that is from a trumpet player. I have been a real big Polish music fan my whole life and that is my slant on accordian music. What you have given is many other forms of music, including audio examples, to give a greater appreciation.
Thanks and Sto Lot (Happy Birthday) to Let’s Polka
by Ambrose Kozlowski on March 12th, 2007
Oh my, who to list? Disqualify me if you feel like it, but here’s three (four) off hand we’ve played this month.
We always have to mention “Iva Nova” from Russia if only in hopes they’ll tour over here. http://www.iva-nova.ru/index-01.htm
And “Play Bayan!” my other fave Russian punk-accordion band: http://www.diy.spb.ru/english/play_bayan_history_eng.shtml
And I just got this lovely record from Finland by “Milla Viljamaa & Johanna Juhola,” Piazolla Passages. http://www.johannajuhola.net/
And Régis Gizavo from Madagascar is just amazing. http://www.rfimusique.com/musiqueen/articles/060/article_6647.asp
I won’t go on. There. peace bruce
by Bruce Triggs on March 12th, 2007
Dino from the J.T. Orchestra is the MAN!
check him out!
by Fred on March 21st, 2007
The Superstars Band and the Showstoppers Orchestras were formed in 1970 to give the students of the Latulippes music school the opportunity to travel and perform. The Superstars perform locally and annually at the New England Music Festival. The Showstoppers perform annually at Greeley Park, Nashua, and on the Seashell Stage at Hampton Beach. They have won top awards in local, regional, and national competitions. Travel includes performances in Italy, Ireland, Canada, Hershey, PA, Disneyworld, FLA., Nashville, TN., Lake George, NY, Washington, DC, California, and they have appeared on the GOOD MORNING television show.
by SPENCER MORSE on April 10th, 2007
Hello, Your site is great. Regards, Valintino Guxxi
by Valintino on May 10th, 2007